Petitioner confident of stopping illegal mining

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, March 29

Navin Chandra Pant, the petitioner who had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Nainital High Court which led to the banning of mining activities in the rivers and rivulets of the state for four months, is confident of stopping illegal mining to save natural sources.

The High Court has ordered the state to constitute a high-power committee of officials to evaluate the effects of mining on the natural sources of state till the state government presents a blueprint of mining for the next 50 years before the court.

“We are thankful to the High Court as well as the Bageshwar District Court and District Magistrate, who acted on our complaints and made such a petition that appealed to the court and the decision was delivered against those destroying the natural sources of state with rampant and illegal mining,” said Pant, a resident of Sirmoli village of Bageshwar district.

Right from 2011, Pant, along with fellow villagers, was fighting against the illegal mining near his village that had reached till 8 meters away from his home. “We have only fought against the illegal mining,” Pant added.